Down Memory Lane on our 50th Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday was our 50th Wedding Anniversary - a milestone that was difficult, if not impossible,

 to imagine 50 years ago . 

The photo in the wood frame was taken earlier this year in February when we went to Hawaii  to attend the wedding of my late close friend's granddaughter. 

The wedding photographer took the photo.

Below is our wedding photo,  

My wedding dress was the first of many, many wedding dresses I have sewn.  

We felt we had already celebrated our wedding , not only in Hawaii, but also last week-end when my brother and sister-in-law invited us to come to visit them up country where they are building a new home.  We took our parents with us so we could all celebrate together - our three anniversaries are all within the same week in August - Mom and Dad  celebrated their 70th anniversary, we our 50th and my brother and his wife their 44th.  

So yesterday was a special day just for the two of us, very low-key.  We took our youngest granddaughter out for lunch and then Vic and I went for a drive down memory lane.  So much has changed in the last 50 years, but we still found some things that stirred our emotions and turned our conversation to reminiscing sweet memories.

The photo above is still very much as it was 50 years ago because the road was closed many years ago and was just opened recently because they are working on clearing property. The road was not open to through traffic but we thought we would risk it !  

The road is not far from where I grew up and was a favorite destination to go for a walk  with my girl friend who lived just down an adjacent street. 

It was on this country lane, that Vic, in our early dating time, would come driving down to look for me, hoping I would be there. Often, I would be there on Sunday afternoons, and we have sweet memories here. 

This bridge, not far from our dating road, is the bridge where Vic stopped on a spring day when we were out on a date, and we went to stand on the bridge looking down at the creek below and then he pulled a ring box out of his pocket and proposed. 

 I am still wearing my original rings, and still love them. 

Shortly after our engagement, we began to plan our wedding and we knew we wanted an accomplished pianist, George Unger, to play for our wedding.  I chose "My Sheep May Safely Graze" by Bach, for our wedding march, and Vic agreed, so we went to ask Mr. Unger,  if he would play for our wedding. We drove on the yard and he came out, leaned on the car to talk to us.  When I mentioned the wedding march I wanted, he said, 'oh yes, he knew it.'  

He and his wife still live in that same house, that my dad built, 

The shop where we bought our wedding flowers is still there... same shop, same place.  Vic wanted my bridal bouquet to be extra special and they quoted him $25.00 and he asked if they could do one for more and they said they didn't know how to make one worth more than that. I thought it was an awful lot to spend for a bouquet.  (smile)  I think all the wedding flowers total was around $80.00. 

Above, an old photo of the church we got married in, (also my dad helped build)  which has been replaced with a new building.  We met because we both attended here.  We grew up with that building being a very big part of our life, everyone knew everyone and so many services, youth meetings, Sunday School, weddings, funerals, celebrations, etc... made this building a busy place where we built memories. 

The above sad looking building was our first home as a married couple.  It looked much better 50 years ago but it IS still there.  It had a full basement and had three bedrooms. 

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Because we were looking for memories ...  I took some other photos that are still recognizable from more than 60 years ago.  

The above house was not that far from where I grew up ...  it was known as "Evan's House"  because it was the biggest, grandest mansion I knew of. I used to dream of what it looked like inside.  And the large yard around it was always meticulously manicured.  But what was especially memorable was that every Christmas they decorated the house and the yard with lights, making it spectacular enough to attract crowds from far away.  Finally, they stopped doing it because there was just no way to control the traffic , and keep cars from driving onto their lawns. 

Until earlier this year my childhood home, that my dad built when I was eight, was still standing - but now there is a huge estate home standing in its place.  But the red barn, that dad built, is still there! How many memories I have in that barn. Feeding the animals, playing in the loft, jumping from the loft to the haystack below with visiting cousins and friends -- and hours and hours of taming and playing with kittens. 

The above house is another memory high for me.  When I was six a little friend at school was having a birthday party, and she invited me to come.  It was my first birthday party experience and I felt like it was the most special thing!  I thought the house was huge, and very beautiful with an upstairs and indoor bathroom. 

Ironically, almost 40 years later my aunt and uncle bought the property and asked Vic to do some work in the house to upgrade it for their kids. The house was original - nothing had been done to it since I had been there so many years ago.  And to my shock the house was very tiny. Its all about  perspective.  But what an experience to be able to go back to something I remembered with childish eyes , and then was able to look at it with adult eyes. 

The above building is where I started school - my first year.   I remember so much of that one roomed school room that had a wood stove to heat it - my teacher Mrs.Wakefield had to come early to start the fire so it would be warm for us.  I remember one day she was late for some reason and the classroom was soooo cold we had to keep our coats on for a couple of hours. I remember where everything was - the coat nails along the far side wall , the wood stove in front of them, the blackboard at the front, to the right of the front door, the desks , the reading area and the play area in the back.  And the very scary water closets in the creepy dark basement. 

I had to take a photo of this area ..... it is just behind me from where I'm standing when I took the photo of the school.  The road is just barely visible there but it was the clump of bushes that are there that hold a deep memory for me.  Our teacher told us we were not allowed to play there because it was too close to the road.  But the bush that grew right there 62 years ago grew in such a way that it made the neatest 'cave' space that lent itself perfectly for the best imaginary games.  I was always very obedient to what I was told... and so I did not go play there.  The other kids did and kept telling me to come play there too, but I wouldn't.  Until, they wore me down, and I rationalized that the teacher never said anything to them playing there after she said not too.  Then the very day I decided that maybe she hadn't meant it after all, and  went to play there .. she came out and we all got into trouble and had to stay after school.. My little heart broke., it was a defining moment in my life that I never forgot. 

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I love what God told the Israelites - that they were to build memory stones or put up markers so that they could go down memory lane with their children and grandchildren -  so they would not forget what God had done for them. 

 May we never get so busy that we don't have time to pass on to our children and grandchildren the things that have built their history and ancestry, the family foundations on which they themselves are built and tell them  how God has led and guided. Hindsight gives a much wider lens view of how life is and it holds the wisdom we can share to help our children be the best that they can be! 

"I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; 

I muse on the work of Your hands."

Psalm 143:5